As Thick as Thieves
by JamesLuver
Summary: Despite the arguments and despite the failures, Jessie and James still need each other. From best friends to lovers, from the heat of a fight to the heat of passion, they're all each other has really got. Which, at the end of the day, is all they really need. One sentence excerpts about a boy and a girl who never knew love until they met each other.
1. To Protect the World from Devastation

**Summary: **_Despite the arguments and despite the failures, Jessie and James still need each other. From best friends to lovers, from the heat of a fight to the heat of passion, they're all each other has really got. Which, at the end of the day, is all they really need. One sentence excerpts about a boy and girl who never knew love until they met each other._

**A/N:** I wasn't intending on posting anything else until I'd finished my Christmas fanfics in draft form, but that sort of went out the window when I stumbled across a Bill/Lanette fanfic using the same format from the 1sentence community at LiveJournal. These have been great fun to write and although most of them are way to nauseatingly fluffy to be allowed (consequently rendering them quite useless for Jessie/James, they've been a great way of getting the muse flowing for the Christmas fanfic. :) The other four tables will follow shortly.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Pokémon_. I don't own the tables used for the prompts. They can be found at LiveJournal.

* * *

><p><em><span>As Thick as Thieves<span>_

_1. To Protect the World from Devastation_

* * *

><p><em><span>1. Comfort<span>_

Jessie has always claimed that she is strong, that she doesn't need anyone's comfort in times when she's down but now, with her head pressed firmly against James' chest, her lavender haired friend thinks that perhaps she hasn't been honest with herself all these years.

* * *

><p><em><span>2. Kiss<span>_

He's not prepared for the brushing of her lips against his cheek as she accepts his consolidations on her Contest loss; all she knows is the sincerity in his eyes as he returns the gesture.

* * *

><p><em><span>3. Soft<span>_

When he looks at her like this, with his eyes shining with that soft, trusting glow, she is reminded of all the times she's yelled at him, smacked him, put him down, and that makes everything that much harder to bear.

* * *

><p><em><span>4. Pain<span>_

Every day they suffer at the hands of the twerp and his Pokémon, but the pain his body regularly endures is nothing compared to the pain in his heart as he watches her twirl away from the beach and out of his life.

* * *

><p><em><span>5. Potatoes<span>_

He's never tasted a chip until she picks some up on one of their missions; now they sit beneath the stars sharing the open bag, and James finds that the riches of cold, hard money are nothing compared to the riches of life that he shares with her.

* * *

><p><em><span>6. Rain<span>_

They stand there as the rain pounds down around them; he reaches tentatively through the space between them and grasps her wrist and, as she squeezes his fingers reassuringly, the rain washes away the last of his fears.

* * *

><p><em><span>7. Chocolate<span>_

Chocolate is one of his biggest weaknesses and he has a secret stash of the stuff, but when he finds her kneeling in the midst of it with wrappers littered on the floor and the delicious concoction smearing her mouth, he finds that he just can't be mad at her.

* * *

><p><em><span>8. Happiness<span>_

Everyone always claims that happiness is a feeling, a feeling as elusive and rare as a Mew, but Jessie knows that _her_ happiness is much more concrete than that, with lavender hair and a smile to light up the world.

* * *

><p><em><span>9. Telephone<span>_

They have to spend the first night after their initiation as full-fledged Team Rocket members apart, but instead of shrugging it off and standing alone as she has done in the past, Jessie spends the evening with the telephone jammed to her ear, listening to his voice, allowing it to qualm away any doubts she has left like a salve against a weeping wound.

* * *

><p><em><span>10. Ears<span>_

He usually has his hair falling down around his face, but for today's disguise he has decided to tie it back loosely; now they are squatted down planning their latest assault and he is speaking, but all she can concentrate on are his cute little ears now showcased for the world like dainty pieces of art.

* * *

><p><em><span>11. Name<span>_

She'd been christened Jessica but Jessie is what everyone calls her…unless James wants something from her, and with the way that her given name rolls deliciously from his lips coupled with the hand that strokes her thigh, she finds that she cannot help but succumb to him every time.

* * *

><p><em><span>12. Sensual<span>_

There is something alluring about the way they constantly spar and lock heads with each other, the way that their words of frustration quickly transform into wet cries of lust, the way she presses him against the ground and makes him forget why he was angry in the first place.

* * *

><p><em><span>13. Death<span>_

The Metagross roars loudly and prepares to finish the pair of them off; Jessie's final words to him in this life resound in his head and remind James that she'll always be there for him, even in death.

* * *

><p><em><span>14. Sex<span>_

Their first time is clumsy and fumbling as both learn the art of playing their partner's body like a delicate instrument, but it is still enough for Jessie to secretly acknowledge that she's found her other half as he pants for breath and brings her more pleasure than she'd ever dreamed of.

* * *

><p><em><span>15. Touch<span>_

He's been with her for long enough to recognise what each stroke of her fingers means: a tap to the shoulder shows her rising annoyance with him; a squeeze of his wrist conveys her confidence in the two of them; the feel of her hand in his own – his favourite of all – lets him know that she likes him around.

* * *

><p><em><span>16. Weakness<span>_

Before James, Jessie had thought that love was a weakness, designed to burn and destroy if she didn't close her heart to it but now, as she lies beside him with her head pillowed on her chest, she realises that love is the greatest strength of all.

* * *

><p><em><span>17. Tears<span>_

James' sobs after Cacnea's departure are soul-destroying, his tears scalding his face an ugly red, his nose runny, yet Jessie does not balk at this as she takes him in her arms and waits for the tears, if not the pain, to stop.

* * *

><p><em><span>18. Speed<span>_

They do everything at a breakneck pace – blast off at the speed of light, change disguises in a heartbeat, finish each other's sentences with nary a thought – so it's no surprise that Jessie and James find themselves falling hard and fast for each other.

* * *

><p><em><span>19. Wind<span>_

The first time James sees Jessie with her hair flowing gracefully down her back, with the wind fingering the strands lovingly, takes his breath away and makes his knees feel weak.

* * *

><p><em><span>20. Freedom<span>_

If anything has sealed James' determination to live out his freedom, it's the look in her eyes and the smile on her face as they grasp each other's hands and sail away into the sunset.

* * *

><p><em><span>21. Life<span>_

As a child, James' parents expected him to learn the proper lessons of etiquette, settle down quietly with Jessibelle and raise a couple of children between them in order to continue the family line; with Jessie, James is able to eat with the manners of a pig and can roam freely across the land as they complete their Team Rocket work…and although they are poor whereas James could be rich with Jessibelle, James knows that life with Jessie is much more fulfilling than his other life could ever be.

* * *

><p><em><span>22. Jealousy<span>_

When she sees Cassidy running her filthy hands all over her partner, Jessie cannot stop the spark of jealousy from igniting within her heart; it's enough to have her blood simmering underneath the surface as the blond bimbo simpers over him; it's enough to have her kicking out at the nearby fire extinguisher as she drags him away to do whatever she pleases with him.

* * *

><p><em><span>23. Hands<span>_

Jessie's hands are slim and slight, belying the power James knows they possess, and yet, against the tense knots in his back, they are surprisingly soft, chasing away the aches, soothing the pain.

* * *

><p><em><span>24. Taste<span>_

There are many tastes in the world that James appreciates, but none is more entrancing than this one, with his head between Jessie's soft thighs, the sweet taste of her essence hot on his tongue, a secret fountain only he can drink from.

* * *

><p><em><span>25. Devotion<span>_

The fake fortune book had said he was a Moltres type, the real ones tells him he is a Magikarp, but Jessie secretly thinks he is a Growlithe, for his devotion and loyalty to her is unmatched by anything else.

* * *

><p><em><span>26. Forever<span>_

Forever has always been a fleeting concept in Jessie's life, with a mother who left her much too young and boyfriends who promised it, only to shatter her heart days later when she wouldn't give them what they wanted; but she knows the words are true when James, the one constant in her life so far, takes her hand in his and promises himself to her for the rest of his life and beyond.

* * *

><p><em><span>27. Blood<span>_

As a child James had had a very weak stomach when it came to blood and now, on his yearly check up at the Team Rocket Medical Centre, he thinks he might pass out once again…until Jessie makes him look at her and he forgets all about the doctor drawing blood from him as he gazes into her understanding eyes.

* * *

><p><em><span>28. Sickness<span>_

He tries not to let anyone know how worried he is when he realises that Jessie has inhaled Stun Spores; even though he knows that the chances of anything happening to her are truly minute, he cannot help but think about her lungs freezing and refusing to let her live and that's what terrifies him the most, for if she died then he would die from cancer of the heart.

* * *

><p><em><span>29. Melody<span>_

Jessie cannot remember much about her childhood, but one memory that will always stay with her forever is the lullaby that her mother used to hum at her to keep away the nightmares; now, as she sits by James' side and watches him sleep the innocent sleep of the untouched, that same melody blossoms on her lips and blooms like a flower in the night, wrapping itself around him, staving away the darkness.

* * *

><p><em><span>30. Star<span>_

"One day we'll be the stars of Team Rocket," James had promised her, and Jessie clings to these words every time they fail because she doesn't want to think about the consequences of James letting her down.

* * *

><p><em><span>31. Home<span>_

They say home is where the heart is, and James' heart lies with Jessie.

* * *

><p><em><span>32. Confusion<span>_

He's infuriating and endearing, someone she wishes was more worldy and someone she fiercely wants to protect, a mystery wrapped in an enigma and the reason why her heart hammers confusingly in her chest whenever she sees his smile directed at her.

* * *

><p><em><span>33. Fear<span>_

Before Jessie entered his life, James had been terrified of everything; of the shadows at night, of being forced back to Jessibelle and his parents, of the future; but now, with Jessie by his side, James knows he has nothing to fear anymore.

* * *

><p><em><span>34. LightningThunder_

Thunder and lightning go together like two halves of the same soul, like the sun and the moon and day and night...and, Meowth thinks, like his Jessie and James – neither of them existing without the other and together creating a masterpiece to be envied by the rest of the world.

* * *

><p><em><span>35. Bonds<span>_

Everyone says that Ash Ketchum, the lovely boy from Pallet Town, has such good friends who will stand by his side no matter what…but the bond the twerp shares with his travelling companions is nothing compared to the one that James shares with Jessie – after all, he thinks as he glances up at the sky, reflecting on the day's events – the _twerp's_ friends probably wouldn't stick by his side in the face of imminent death at the mercy of an enraged Metagross, and that's what makes the bonds of friendship he shares with Jessie unbreakable even by death.

* * *

><p><em><span>36. Market<span>_

They wander together through the many different stalls, twisting their heads left and right to take in all the sights; Jessie pauses as they pass a particularly kooky stand where a strangely familiar man is advertising an unbeatable piece of machinery guaranteed to procure any Pokémon imaginable, and the two share identical evil grins before enquiring about its price.

* * *

><p><em><span>37. Technology<span>_

Jessie internally wishes that she'd let James pick their latest piece of machinery as they sail through the air, another attempt at capturing Pikachu wasted, because as much as she hates admitting it, the man has more of an eye for it than she does; outwardly she blames the technology for its stupid glitches.

* * *

><p><em><span>38. Gift<span>_

"It's for you," he says nervously, and she takes the tiny box curiously from his hands, flushing slightly when she realises that he's bought her a pendant with a picture of the three of them inside, letting her wear her two friends close to her heart always.

* * *

><p><em><span>39. Smile<span>_

She rarely smiles at him anymore as they follow the twerps around Hoenn, but when she does grace him with it, it's enough to make him believe that everything will be alright in the end.

* * *

><p><em><span>40. Innocence<span>_

When she sleeps, she has an air of innocence about her that James hasn't seen in a very long time, and he wishes more than anything else that he'd been strong enough to protect her innocence as she protected his.

* * *

><p><em><span>41. Completion<span>_

It's at times like these, when they're clutching desperately at each other's naked skin, sharing one body, one heart, one mind, that James knows he's found the only person who can ever make him feel complete.

* * *

><p><em><span>42. Clouds<span>_

Every cloud has a silver lining (or so they say) and Jessie is James' silver lining – ever determined to succeed, ever determined to make something of herself, the kind of person that can inspire determination in him too.

* * *

><p><em><span>43. Sky<span>_

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they scream as they hurtle through the air, the after effects of Pikachu's Thunderbolt still crackling on their clothes, and she reaches out a hand to him as they soar, grasping hold of him, ensuring that they are not separated.

* * *

><p><em><span>44. Heaven<span>_

James isn't sure if he believes in the afterlife or not, but if there ever was a Heaven, it's this: lying on the grass with Jessie by his side, their bodies just about touching, dreaming of the future together.

* * *

><p><em><span>45. Hell<span>_

His own personal Hell is the feeling of being trapped in the basement of his home with that mad woman cracking her whip at him, with Jessie nowhere in sight and the feeling of utter helplessness as Jessibelle advances on him like a stalking Persian.

* * *

><p><em><span>46. Sun<span>_

The sun is something James adores for its fiery colours, the colours that remind him of flaming red tresses, of a blazing passion and a fascinating, dangerous temper to set the world on fire.

* * *

><p><em><span>47. Moon<span>_

The moon is something that Jessie thinks is stunning for its unnatural beauty, the beauty that reminds her of lavender hair as fine as spun gold, of pale, too-dainty features and innocent green eyes that hide away with the blanket of night.

* * *

><p><em><span>48. Waves<span>_

The waves crash on the beach unnaturally loudly as he screams for the world to hear; all they do is drive home the point that he is well and truly alone now.

* * *

><p><em><span>49. Hair<span>_

Jessie's hair can somehow be manipulated into any style she wants: the iconic gravity-defying curl she favours above all else; the two geeky pigtails she uses when in her Jessilina guise; the more reserved look of reporter's bun, not to mention the hundreds of other styles she has used over the years; but James' favourite of all is the natural, cascading style that is only apparent when they are alone at night, the style that he can run his hands through and clutch at and marvel at as it falls modestly past her breasts as she lies in his arms and enhances her beauty so much that it makes his heart ache.

* * *

><p><em><span>50. Supernova<span>_

The realisation of her feelings for him hits her so suddenly and so unexpectedly that her knees buckle beneath her and she has to collapse to the ground as the internal explosion of love threatens to snap her carefully seamed exterior.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Wow, I've abused so many sentences rules here that it's not even funny. I also wanted to make comments on some of these sentences, but didn't know where to put them without making them annoying. Therefore I've created a post at my LiveJournal to talk about some of these. The link is in my profile for those of you who are interested.

Finally, please review. Whether you loved them or hated them, wanted to gag at the fluffiness and OOCness or they just made you smile, let me know. :)


	2. To Unite all Peoples Within our Nation

**A/N:** Here's the second batch. This time I involved more Meowth and less fluff but I guess they're still okay. Notes are once again on my LiveJournal. Oh God, I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't even know what half of these words meant. xD

* * *

><p><em><span>2. To Unite all Peoples Within our Nation<span>_

* * *

><p><em><span>1. Walking<span>_

It's rare for Jessie and James to take time off work to just go out for a stroll but today they do, leaving Meowth to pour over their latest Pikachu swiping scheme; walking side-by-side with her partner, Jessie silently admits that this slower pace is a welcome change to their constantly hectic lifestyles.

* * *

><p><em><span>2. Waltz<span>_

Without making eye contact with him she quietly admits to him that she's never been taught how to dance; for James, dance lessons were taught from an early age to ensure that he'd be perfect for the time when he married Jessibelle; now he finally feels like those wasted hours weren't so wasted after all as he takes her by the waist and gently guides her around the room.

* * *

><p><em><span>3. Wishes<span>_

She looks up into the night sky as Jirachi disappears, closes her eyes as she thinks of her one wish: to never forget what true friendship feels like and to always remain by those friends' sides no matter what.

* * *

><p><em><span>4. Wonder<span>_

They say that there are seven wonders of the world, but as James watches Jessie emerge from the water wearing nothing but a confident smirk, he thinks that he's just found the eighth.

* * *

><p><em><span>5. Worry<span>_

Meowth has been gone with the twerps for two weeks now, and Jessie and James prepare diligently for their next mission, but despite having faith in their feline friend, they can't help but worry that he might prefer a more luxurious life with their enemies than the hard one with them.

* * *

><p><em><span>6. Whimsy<span>_

Jessie used to subconsciously think that James' cross dressing was a cry out for help, the only way he could express his homosexuality; now she smirks to herself as she watches him wriggle into a dress for the first time in years, all in the name of spicing up their sexual antics.

* * *

><p><em><span>7. WasteWasteland_

With Jessie no longer by his side, James shivers despite the fire and wonders how long he can exist in this barren wasteland alone.

* * *

><p><em><span>8. Whiskey and Rum<span>_

They sit opposite each other, each clutching two shots; Jessie smirks triumphantly and throws them back, sending him a challenging look to do the same; James raises the glass and swallows the alcohol, before the burning in his throat has him coughing and spluttering whilst Jessie pounds his back…and even though he's lost the challenge and has to listen to her mocking him, he can't help but think he's won as her bare hands caress the nape of his neck soothingly.

* * *

><p><em><span>9. War<span>_

They're constantly at war with each other, firing missiles of wounding words and trying to shellshock each other into submission…but no matter what, the day always ends with a peace treaty.

* * *

><p><em><span>10. Weddings<span>_

She stands a little distance away from the church and watches as the bride and groom emerge to cheers and confetti; her heart sinks a little as she mourns her very-unlikely-to-ever-occur day in the spotlight thanks to her partner's phobia of marriage, but she can't help but smirk as he takes her hand and whispers into her ear that he can still give her a better wedding night than those two clowns could ever hope to have.

* * *

><p><em><span>11. Birthday<span>_

"Happy Birthday, Jess!" James and Meowth sing together as they present her with a misshapen cake that is smothered in chocolate and depicts a picture of Pikachu being whisked away whilst the twerps bawl in the dust, suitably humiliated; Jessie can't help but smile.

* * *

><p><em><span>12. Blessing<span>_

She had not wanted to be partnered with him at first – she'd believed that she worked better alone – but now she knows that James' arrival was a blessing in disguise as she sits by his side and accepts his optimistic assurance that tomorrow everything will be better.

* * *

><p><em><span>13. Bias<span>_

Cassidy's eyes flash with triumphant malevolence as she realises just what is going on between Jessie and James, and she can't help but express her _surprise_ that Jessie has stooped low enough to fool around with _him_ of all people, that at least her Butch is a _man_ and not a _prancing fairy_; and Jessie's eyes flash as the blonde strikes another blow deep into her core but manages to muster a twist of her mouth and states that she isn't biased in any way, but she'd rather have her James any day than a bloke who probably sounds like a winded frog when he's in the bedroom.

* * *

><p><em><span>14. Burning<span>_

She doesn't know why, but recently his innocent touches have left her body burning and feverish, as though she's just been struck down with a severe case of the flu.

* * *

><p><em><span>15. Breathing<span>_

Meowth would die laughing and Jessie would probably hit him if she ever knew that he was thinking something so corny, but James finds that being with his female partner at all times is just as necessary as breathing.

* * *

><p><em><span>16. Breaking<span>_

Ever since childhood James has had the unfortunate clumsy ability to break almost anything; aged five he broke his mother's favourite vase and endured hours of berating from his father as his mother sobbed hysterically in the background; aged ten he broke his arm when attempting to climb a tree and endured hours of enraged outcries at the impropriety of a boy of his calibre climbing; during his time in Team Rocket he has broken all manner of machinery used in their attempts to capture Pikachu and went through hours of mostly-angry-sometimes-disappointed lectures from his partner…but now, as he holds Jessie's battle worn heart in his hands, he's determined to keep it whole at all costs.

* * *

><p><em><span>17. Belief<span>_

"Tomorrow we'll capture Pikachu," she tells him confidently, and he almost believes her.

* * *

><p><em><span>18. Balloon<span>_

Their Meowth balloon has always been their favourite way of travelling, lost high up in the sky where no one else can touch them, safely ensconced in their own little world.

* * *

><p><em><span>19. Balcony<span>_

Jessie stands on the balcony and stares out over the vast acres of land on James' summer estate, once more unable to fathom why he'd want to give up such luxury for a rough life on the road with her.

* * *

><p><em><span>20. Bane<span>_

Sometimes Jessie angrily thinks that James is the bane of her life; a thought she quickly takes back when she sees his faltering smile and the plate of food he's brought as a means of a peace offering.

* * *

><p><em><span>21. Quiet<span>_

Laughter and conversation are nice to pass the time of day, Jessie reflects, but there's nothing quite like the moments of silence which allows dreams to expand and the gap between her and James to bridge even more than conversation allows.

* * *

><p><em><span>22. Quirks<span>_

Jessie has many quirks and idiosyncrasies, from her unpredictable temper to her love of strange-looking Pokémon, but James accepts them just as Jessie accepts his.

* * *

><p><em><span>23. Question<span>_

"Why do you always get to go on top?" James asks her one night, but Jessie only smirks and grinds her hips more firmly against his, ensuring that he doesn't want to know the answer.

* * *

><p><em><span>24. Quarrel<span>_

Jessie and James are prone to argue and spar with each other explosively; luckily for them, Meowth thinks ruefully as Jessie's lacy underwear comes flying out of the tent to smack him in the face, they're just as eager to get to the making up part.

* * *

><p><em><span>25. Quitting<span>_

They've split up and declared themselves solo performers before, but it's never been like this, with him spending the night alone without his two friends beside him; James silently sheds a tear at the thought that Jessie well and truly has quit and abandoned him this time.

* * *

><p><em><span>26. Jump<span>_

James squeals, "Monster!" loudly as something huge and threatening leaps out behind him, but before he can bolt it reaches out and grips his arm; he is forced around to come face-to-face with an enraged looking Jessie, who angrily demands to know just who he is calling a monster.

* * *

><p><em><span>27. Jester<span>_

Meowth likes to think of himself as a real regular wise guy, often cracking jokes about everything and anything, but suddenly he doesn't seem so funny anymore when he brings up the nature of Jessie and James' relationship, causing them both to blush and hit him with whatever item they can get their hands on.

* * *

><p><em><span>28. Jousting<span>_

James swears sullenly as Jessie circles him with her makeshift weapon – training lesson five at the Team Rocket academy: always make sure you're armed – but he can do nothing to stop his partner from leaping forward and tackling him to the ground with his hands locked awkwardly behind his back, declaring herself the winner.

* * *

><p><em><span>29. Jewel<span>_

If asked, Jessie would compare herself to jadeite: rare, smooth and absolutely perfect; James would beg to differ, likening her more to a red diamond: a bit rough around the edges, completely unpredictable but still one-in-a-million.

* * *

><p><em><span>30. Just<span>_

Jessie isn't the best agent in Team Rocket as she would like to be; she isn't an actress or a nurse or anything else glamorous; she is just Jessie, but in James' eyes, that's all she has to be.

* * *

><p><em><span>31. Smirk<span>_

"Dis is da stupidest plan you've ever come up wid," Meowth growls in annoyance; Jessie and James merely exchange devious smirks and continue to shove the bonnet over his head.

* * *

><p><em><span>32. Sorrow<span>_

It's not often that James really feels sorrow over anything, but now, seeing Jessie as happy as she is as she practises her newest Contest move with Yanmega, he regrets all those times he turned his nose up and dismissed her efforts as ridiculous.

* * *

><p><em><span>33. Stupidity<span>_

He has all the symptoms of illness but doesn't really feel it: his stomach flutters as though he is going to be sick; he can't stop shivering though he is not cold; his heart shivers in his chest whenever she speaks to him…the only way he can prevent this is by avoiding her at all costs, but when she speaks to him quietly he makes the stupid mistake of looking into her eyes and the illness starts all over again.

* * *

><p><em><span>34. Serenade<span>_

They can't afford to attend the dance that's taking place in the town centre, so Meowth offers to serenade them with his guitar and they sway together in the moonlight, wrapped up in the song and in each other.

* * *

><p><em><span>35. Sarcasm<span>_

"…I was just jokin' when I said youse two should just screw each oder ta relieve some frustration" Meowth mutters five minutes later after he has time to recover from seeing his two friends in a romantic clinch for the first time; Jessie and James blink at him blankly, _still_ wearing nothing but a thin veil of sweat.

* * *

><p><em><span>36. Sordid<span>_

If his parents and Jessibelle could see him now, they would surely be screeching at the sheer impropriety of it all, but to James, as he lies there with his head pillowed on Jessie's bare chest, his breath slowly decelerating as she runs gentle fingers through his sweat-soaked hair, there is nothing as pure as sharing himself with the woman he worships.

* * *

><p><em><span>37. Soliloquy<span>_

"…And then we'll grab that Pikachu!" James finishes, finally looking up from his diagram, to find Jessie sprawled out on her front, having lost the valiant fight of staying awake whilst her partner explains his newest idea to her at three o' clock in the morning.

* * *

><p><em><span>38. Sojourn<span>_

James promises himself that he'll just take a break from digging the pitfall trap for five minutes whilst he recovers his energy; he is poked awake half an hour later by a very unimpressed looking Jessie, and then the grovelling begins.

* * *

><p><em><span>39. Share<span>_

She'd shared her bread with him all those years ago, sparking a friendship that would last a lifetime.

* * *

><p><em><span>40. Solitary<span>_

Before James, Jessie had cut a lonely figure, operating by herself without assistance from anyone; now she spends every waking moment with her best friend and she needs him in her life, even if she never tells him that.

* * *

><p><em><span>41. Nowhere<span>_

Jessie declares that it's the last time that she's ever allowing James to read the map when they once again find themselves lost in the middle of nowhere.

* * *

><p><em><span>42. Neutral<span>_

"Why do ya always side wid Jessie in dese t'ings? Youse should stay impartial!" Meowth whines one day after another argument between the cat and the redhead ends with Jessie as the victor, and Jessie smirks and tells the cat James is smart enough to know that _not_ agreeing with her would lead to the worst sex drought in the history of the world.

* * *

><p><em><span>43. Nuance<span>_

Jessie is not just one colour; easy to figure out and completely boring; no, Jessie is a kaleidoscope of colours, a million different things that James could never work out but will spend the rest of his life trying to.

* * *

><p><em><span>44. Near<span>_

His mere presence is making her drunk now, and she finds her breath leaving her in a gasp as his hand gently brushes against the bare skin of her shoulder.

* * *

><p><em><span>45. Natural<span>_

Jessie is very beautiful when she is made up with favourite lipsticks and mascaras and goodness knows what else, but James thinks her beauty is unmatched whenever he sees her naturally, with her hair mussed and her face void of makeup and only a smile to transform her face.

* * *

><p><em><span>46. Horizon<span>_

They've been struggling towards their white tomorrow for a long time now, but as Jessie and James prepare for their departure to the Unova region, they think that this time it could be closer than ever before.

* * *

><p><em><span>47. Valiant<span>_

As James tries his best to prise Victreebel off of his head, Jessie sighs in exasperation and begins to aid her partner in his efforts, all the while berating him for not training the damn thing properly.

* * *

><p><em><span>48. Virtuous<span>_

Jessie has always claimed that she most certainly is _not_ an uptight little virgin, but when James lays her down for the first time, she quietly admits that she actually hasn't done this before, bracing herself for the laughter that does not come; instead he kisses her and tells her softly that they can learn about it together.

* * *

><p><em><span>49. Victory<span>_

Misty has won the Princess Dolls, but as Jessie gazes upon her two partners donned in those ridiculous garbs, she can't help but think that she's won the real prize of the day.

* * *

><p><em><span>50. Defeat<span>_

They lose every day, but it's not as hard to bear to know that they have someone to share the losses with.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Review?


	3. To Denounce the Evils of Truth and Love

**A/N:** I'm posting these now for the simple fact that I'll never get around to it because I've got so much work on at the moment it's actually insane. I know for a fact that I'm going to be equally busy right the way into the end of January. Sucks to be me. :P

Anyway, enough of that. Fair warning...there's a lot of angst in this chapter. I thought it was fitting for the title.

* * *

><p><em><span>3. To Denounce the Evils of Truth and Love<span>_

* * *

><p><em><span>1. Ring<span>_

If she was a better person, she would support James through his run in the Poké Ringer contest; instead she turns away from him with a sneer, more interested on her latest Pokémon swiping scheme than cheering her friend.

* * *

><p><em><span>2. Hero<span>_

Sometimes, when she's down, she doubts she'll ever find a hero in her line of work.

* * *

><p><em><span>3. Memory<span>_

She's not the sort of person who forgives and forgets easily, and it is no exception when James comes to her side and apologises for being insufferable today through gritted teeth; she can only turn away, her silent anger the dismissal of his weak attempt of friendship.

* * *

><p><em><span>4. Box<span>_

One day James brings out a box that he claims he's had since childhood; Jessie and Meowth take turns attempting to prise it open only to find that it's filled with bottle caps, not money, when they do; at this point Jessie turns her flashing eyes on her partner and snaps that if that's the only useless junk that he can produce, then they might as well give up now.

* * *

><p><em><span>5. Run<span>_

Before now, James has never felt like the friendship that he shares with Jessie was disintegrating right before his eyes; now, on the darkest of nights, he silently wonders if it would have been better for everyone if he'd continued to run from his past instead of stopping at Team Rocket headquarters, if they'd never been partnered together all those years ago.

* * *

><p><em><span>6. Hurricane<span>_

When she wants it to be, Jessie's temper is like a hurricane; destroying everything in its path and leaving her friendship with James on only the most frayed of threads.

* * *

><p><em><span>7. Wings<span>_

_I wish I could fly away from here_, James thinks bitterly, glaring daggers at Jessie as he squares up to her; she sneers coldly at him.

* * *

><p><em><span>8. Cold<span>_

They sit several feet apart from each other, each shivering in the bitter night air; tentatively, as though fearing the consequences, James suggests that they sit closer; Jessie can only snort and turn away, preferring to suffer alone than be anywhere near him.

* * *

><p><em><span>9. Red<span>_

The sun's dying rays splash across his features like a fatal, bloody wound; for a moment she thinks about reaching out to him, bridging the space between them…but that could leave her nursing the remains of a slain heart if she does so, and she therefore turns away before she sees the hurt in his eyes.

* * *

><p><em><span>10. Drink<span>_

She's taken to drinking on the sly whenever she can – anything to numb the damn pain of this repetitive cycle – but tonight she finds that she's not alone in the act; slowly, James offers her the bottle, and she takes it with a cynical quirk of her lips, thinking perhaps they aren't so different after all.

* * *

><p><em><span>11. Midnight<span>_

Midnight: the witching hour, the magic minute, the time where anything can happen; James glances across at his silent partner who is poking the fire morosely and wonders if things will get better for them today.

* * *

><p><em><span>12. Temptation<span>_

The temptation to just ditch him and go solo is constantly on her mind nowadays, but somehow she can't find the strength to do just that.

* * *

><p><em><span>13. View<span>_

"This here view used to be beautiful before everything went wrong," the old man tells them as they file past him and James can't help but compare it to his friendship with Jessie; once a sight of beauty to behold, now nothing but a barren and unwelcoming landscape.

* * *

><p><em><span>14. Music<span>_

Chimecho's pretty little voice rings out clearly, and the three thieves pause in their work to simply listen; with the sound of the cheerful notes coursing through his veins, James turns to his partner to smile and she reciprocates the action; for the first time in a long while they feel connected by the song.

* * *

><p><em><span>15. Silk<span>_

There are numerous things that annoy her about James nowadays, not least his nerve-shredding ability to whine about how much his life sucks when he could just hightail the hell out of the endless cycle of humiliation to return to silken sheets and warm meals and more money than she could ever dream of holding.

* * *

><p><em><span>16. Cover<span>_

Jessie rouses and rolls over sleepily, feeling the space beside her empty; she sits up on one elbow and surveys the room in exasperation because James is just not there; her eyes find him slumped over the little desk in the corner where he'd been devising a plan for their next attempt to capture Pikachu when she'd retired; she gnashes her teeth together (she'd _told_ the bloody idiot to not fall asleep there but he just does not fucking _listen_) and instead of slipping out of bed to drape their thin blanket over his shoulders as she would've done in the past, she rolls back over and determinedly pushes his shivering form out of her mind.

* * *

><p><em><span>17. Promise<span>_

"I swear, I'll never let you down," James had once said, but Jessie can't help but bitterly think that he's failed her as she watches their lives crumble all over again.

* * *

><p><em><span>18. Dream<span>_

Jessie doesn't dream, not anymore; she'd given that up the moment that James had turned on her and begun to sever the fragile bond of friendship for good.

* * *

><p><em><span>19. Candle<span>_

One look at her face has the tentative hope that had ignited within him snuffed out like a candle's fragile flame.

* * *

><p><em><span>20. Talent<span>_

She'd always had the talent for picking out complete bastards, Jessie reflects; men who pretended to support her and then turned their backs the moment that they couldn't get what they wanted, and James appears to be no different as he and Meowth sneer about her love for Contests behind her back and leave her to struggle with her dream alone.

* * *

><p><em><span>21. Silence<span>_

The silence is an ocean of despair between them, threatening to choke the breath from their lungs and destroy them for good.

* * *

><p><em><span>22. Journey<span>_

The journey they've undertaken in life has had its ups and downs; sometimes it has been the most beautiful thing in the world, leaving them cruising effortlessly as they take in the sights, and sometimes it has left them grasping desperately at the unrelenting cliff face for purchase, but now they've reached the top and life is perfect.

* * *

><p><em><span>23. Fire<span>_

The unnatural wildfire in his eyes threatens to reduce her to ash.

* * *

><p><em><span>24. Strength<span>_

It takes every ounce of his willpower to not beg her to stay as he watches her walk resolutely away from him.

* * *

><p><em><span>25. Mask<span>_

At night, when she is alone, she allows herself to fall apart in the face of everything that has gone wrong for them since reaching Hoenn; in the morning she rises with the sun, with her mask of calculated indifference back in place, no one any the wiser.

* * *

><p><em><span>26. Ice<span>_

She's encased her heart in ice, determined that no one will ever break through the unforgiving wall and scar her again.

* * *

><p><em><span>27. Fall<span>_

It's over before he's really comprehended that it's begun, and all that he knows – thought he knew – about the world and the two of them has fallen down around him.

* * *

><p><em><span>28. Forgotten<span>_

She's forgotten what it's like to have a friend that she can rely on.

* * *

><p><em><span>29. Dance<span>_

Sometimes they'd dance just because they were happy, two souls twisting together to the song of the heart; now they don't even have the heart to reminisce over what used to be.

* * *

><p><em><span>30. Body<span>_

She's shivering and trying to push him away as he gazes down on the damage that Pikachu has done to her body today but this time he's insistent, and when the weak, trembling, "that rat has _ruined_ me," issues from her parched lips, he covers her mouth with his own and proceeds to show her that she's anything but ruined.

* * *

><p><em><span>31. Sacred<span>_

He's more precious than gold, rarer than the rarest jewel and more sacred than a Moltres' flame, but she'll never admit that, not to anyone.

* * *

><p><em><span>32. Farewells<span>_

This time they're really going solo, and at that moment James is too angry with her for her stubbornness to think of anything but a jubilant farewell.

* * *

><p><em><span>33. World<span>_

They'd once had the whole world at their fingertips…now they have nothing.

* * *

><p><em><span>34. Formal<span>_

The stiff, clipped way that he speaks to her now hurts her more than Pikachu ever could, but she'll take that secret with her to the grave.

* * *

><p><em><span>35. Fever<span>_

She shivers beneath the too-thin blanket, and James smooths the sweaty hair away from her hot forehead and presses the cool cloth against her, murmuring words of comfort as he does so; even in her illness, Jessie can't help but smile.

* * *

><p><em><span>36. Laugh<span>_

The foreign sound of her laughter almost breaks his heart; he watches from a distance as she flirts lightly with the handsome cashier attendant in the superstore and he can't help but bitterly think that she doesn't need him to be happy.

* * *

><p><em><span>37. Lies<span>_

_Don't worry, I won't leave you…We may not make a lot of money, but we sure have got our freedom…Team Rocket's friendship never ends…_at the end of the day, all they'd been were lies.

* * *

><p><em><span>38. Forever<span>_

She doesn't believe in happily ever afters or promises of forever because they'll never ever be for her.

* * *

><p><em><span>39. Overwhelmed<span>_

The gentle pressure of her fingers on his shoulder overwhelms everything else; he turns to find her almost smiling at him.

* * *

><p><em><span>40. Whisper<span>_

Her sleeping breath wafts gently across his face as he holds her in his arms, and his fingertips whisper down the soft swell of her hip as he guides them down her body, silently marvelling at how far they've come.

* * *

><p><em><span>41. Wait<span>_

He doesn't know how much longer he can wait for the friend that he once thought he had to return to him.

* * *

><p><em><span>42. Talk<span>_

They're just not _communicating _anymore, that's the problem, and for once in his life Meowth doesn't have the foggiest idea of how to intervene and prevent his two human friends from tearing each other apart at the seams.

* * *

><p><em><span>43. Search<span>_

At one time Jessie had thought that her search for that one person who understands her no matter what was over; now she knows that she couldn't have been more wrong, but she doesn't have the strength to begin that laborious task of searching again; instead she vows to seal her heart in a casket of ice…until _he_ begins to melt it.

* * *

><p><em><span>44. Hope<span>_

The last glimmer of hope disappears with the bite of her insincere smile.

* * *

><p><em><span>45. Eclipse<span>_

The lunar eclipse reaches everything in sight…even their friendship.

* * *

><p><em><span>46. Gravity<span>_

Gravity always pulls them back down to earth, no matter the consequences.

* * *

><p><em><span>47. Highway<span>_

With the hateful look in his partner's eyes, James feels as though he's on the highway to oblivion, too late to stop the inevitable car crash.

* * *

><p><em><span>48. Unknown<span>_

Perhaps not knowing the future is for the best, James thinks as he glances over at his partner; after all, he doesn't really want to know how there story will end.

* * *

><p><em><span>49. Lock<span>_

She'll lock away the smile he has given her in her chest and throw away the key so that nobody can take it away from her.

* * *

><p><em><span>50. Breathe<span>_

_Just breathe, Jess,_ the female Rocket instructs herself as James hand brushes against her skin, almost setting it on fire, _just breathe._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I sincerely hope that I can get the next chapter done in time for Christmas.


	4. To Extend Our Reach to the Stars Above

**A/N:** Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope that everyone is having a fantabulous time. This chapter is mostly fluff, so I guess it fits in with the Christmas spirit that way, since who really wants angst at Christmas? xP

* * *

><p><em><span>4. To Extend Our Reach to the Stars Above<span>_

* * *

><p><em><span>1. Air<span>_

"Have you noticed that we seem to spend more time in the air than we do on the ground?" James asks her despondently one day, and although she smacks him upside the head and tells him not to be ridiculous, privately, she has to agree with him.

* * *

><p><em><span>2. Apples<span>_

"I thought that what's yours is mine," says James grumpily as he watches Jessie devour the apple she had found on the ground minutes earlier; Jessie smirks flirtatiously and tosses him the core, stating that she had to eat around his bit to reach her own.

* * *

><p><em><span>3. Beginning<span>_

They hadn't even liked each other at the beginning of their training: he'd thought that she was arrogant; she'd thought that he was aloof and each had not-so-secretly wondered just how they'd survive being together.

* * *

><p><em><span>4. Bugs<span>_

"You've got a Caterpie in your hair," James says one day after another disastrous attempt at capturing Pikachu, and he reaches out to gently disentangle it from her silky locks…for a moment it seems like she will actually thank him for his trouble, but then she begins moaning about how that damned bug has ruined her hair with its goopy feet, and James can only sigh, knowing that she will never change.

* * *

><p><em><span>5. Coffee<span>_

"Geez, youse two look rough," Meowth comments as he hands each of his friends a mug of strong, black coffee, "were youse two up all night checkin' out da new machine we're gonna use taday?"; Jessie and James exchange knowing, devious grins and airily agree that it was something like that.

* * *

><p><em><span>6. Dark<span>_

Even in her darkest hour she faces it alone; she doubts he'd want to know, anyway.

* * *

><p><em><span>7. Despair<span>_

There's a definitive line between Jessie and himself, between their backgrounds, between their morals, between their hearts, and sometimes he wonders if they're just too different to ever stay together.

* * *

><p><em><span>8. Doors<span>_

In her lifetime many doors have presented themselves to Jessie, only for each one of them to slam shut in her face whenever she began tentatively believing that she could reach her goal: her career as a performer, her career as a Coordinator, her career as a nurse; the only one that has remained open for her is her career in Team Rocket and her partnership with James, and in a strange sort of way that's probably been the best thing that could have happened to her.

* * *

><p><em><span>9. Drink<span>_

"James, you're drunk," Jessie says, wrinkling her nose as she tries to push her overly affectionate partner away from her, but when he continues to whine that he just wants to be _close_ to her she relents, and as his drunken lips brush against the underside of her jaw, she fleetingly thinks that perhaps this isn't a totally unpleasant situation.

* * *

><p><em><span>10. Duty<span>_

They have a duty to be the villains, but sometimes they both wonder what it would be like to be on the winning side more often.

* * *

><p><em><span>11. Earth<span>_

In their time in Team Rocket they have seen the earth from space quite a few times; in those moments, James always pauses to wonder just how insignificant their lives are in the grand scheme of things, an insignificance that is forgotten when Jessie turns her eyes on him.

* * *

><p><em><span>12. End<span>_

They snipe and fight and quarrel like no one Meowth has ever met before, but in the end it doesn't matter because they always bounce back towards each other.

* * *

><p><em><span>13. Fall<span>_

James trips over a rock as the trio of thieves attempt to escape with Pikachu; he careens straight into Jessie just as she turns to see what the shrill shriek from her partner means; the force of James' body has them both crashing to the ground, James arms by his comrade's head, her legs trapped between his; staring into each other's eyes, the heat rising steadily in their cheeks, they don't even hear Meowth's cries of dismay that Pikachu has managed to escape his net until the electric mouse is ordered to attack.

* * *

><p><em><span>14. Fire<span>_

They sit close to the fire, warming their hands; with a sigh, Jessie rolls her head against her partner's shoulder in a rare gesture of affection; he gives a start but smiles, the warmth in his body nothing compared to the warmth in his heart.

* * *

><p><em><span>15. Flexible<span>_

"I don't even wanna _know_ how youse two managed ta do dat," Meowth mutters, backing away from the two humans; Jessie and James grin triumphantly and wave their spanners in his face, claiming that it's all in the wrist.

* * *

><p><em><span>16. Flying<span>_

Jessie and James fly first class from Sinnoh to Kanto; it is the first time that Jessie has travelled in such luxury and James feels somewhat saddened to see the way her eyes light up at the sight of the extravagances that he has always taken for granted.

* * *

><p><em><span>17. Food<span>_

They eat so rarely nowadays that even the sight of a tiny cracker has Jessie and James squabbling bitterly over who gets the spoils.

* * *

><p><em><span>18. Foot<span>_

They lie together on their sides, and James' breath shudders from his body as Jessie's foot slides enticingly up his leg.

* * *

><p><em><span>19. Grave<span>_

She often wonders if her mother ever got a grave or if nobody bothered because her body was never found; those thoughts leave her shivering with something she can't quite name, and as though sensing her disturbing thoughts, James is always there by her side.

* * *

><p><em><span>20. Green<span>_

His emerald eyes remind her of so many things: of the springy grass in summer, of the colour of their money on their long-awaited payday, of the good times that the two of them have shared.

* * *

><p><em><span>21. Head<span>_

It's a good thing that _she_ is able to keep her head in these sorts of situations, Jessie thinks as she watches James flap around the campsite with his unruly Victreebel stuck to his head.

* * *

><p><em><span>22. Hollow<span>_

Their friendship is effectively over, and the thought leaves James with a hollow feeling deep inside his chest.

* * *

><p><em><span>23. Honour<span>_

If his parents could only know just what he's been up to, James thinks tiredly as he watches Jessie sleep, her bare skin gilded silver by the moonlight; they'd denounce him as a son for destroying the honourable family name and might even take the inheritance away from him, but that doesn't matter, not when what he has now is so much more important.

* * *

><p><em><span>24. Hope<span>_

Hope is always there, driving them forward in whatever they do, that tiny spark that today maybe…just maybe they'll succeed.

* * *

><p><em><span>25. Light<span>_

It hits him like a Pikachu's Thunderbolt, a holy epiphany, a spotlight on a stage, and it terrifies him.

* * *

><p><em><span>26. Lost<span>_

She's never had a constant in her life until him, a compass who constantly points north and keeps her grounded, preventing her from losing her way.

* * *

><p><em><span>27. Metal<span>_

She watches the way his face lights up in an indescribable joy as he cradles the bottle caps she's just presented to him close to his cheek; in order to stop her heart from lurching pleasantly at that look, she quickly turns away and mutters, "they're just hunks of metal."

* * *

><p><em><span>28. New<span>_

She looks at the male expected to be her new partner with disdain; little does she know that that young man will become her most loyal friend in just a couple of days.

* * *

><p><em><span>29. Old<span>_

She rests her chin on his chest, smirking when his hands drift up to rub the ridge between her shoulders contentedly, still almost unable to believe that her oldest friend is now her lover.

* * *

><p><em><span>30. Peace<span>_

Meowth finds Jessie and James slumped against each other as they sleep; he smiles as he settles down beside them, deciding against rousing them because it's so rare for such moments of peace to find them.

* * *

><p><em><span>31. Poison<span>_

Jessie has a soft spot for poison Pokémon, particularly the serpentine variety; James has come to internally think that it's because they can be docile when they want to be, fiercely protective when the times call for it and deadly poisonous to all those who get in their way, all traits that Jessie both admires and shares.

* * *

><p><em><span>32. Pretty<span>_

_Pretty_ isn't exactly a word that James would associate with his partner: pretty sounds like a vulnerable little girl, someone fragile, something which Jessie is decidedly not; no, he believes that _beautiful_ is a much more apt description of the fiery haired warrior whom he calls his best friend.

* * *

><p><em><span>33. Rain<span>_

"I'm not crying," she tells him forcefully as the rain pounds down around them, and all he can do is watch her turn away from him.

* * *

><p><em><span>34. Regret<span>_

Sometimes, he regrets not reaching out to her and attempting to darn the holes that are tearing their relationship apart.

* * *

><p><em><span>35. Roses<span>_

"You're such a sap, James," Jessie says, but he notices that she's still holding the rose gently in her hands.

* * *

><p><em><span>36. Secret<span>_

She vows that he will never know what's in her heart…but it's already too late.

* * *

><p><em><span>37. Snakes<span>_

"Seviper," she says in an offhand voice, "Poison Tail," ordering the snake to attack the unsuspecting Raticate in front of them, and James is glad that she isn't ordering the snake to attack _him_.

* * *

><p><em><span>38. Snow<span>_

She loves to be out in the snow, but she also loves to watch the flakes swirl lazily from inside, tucked up cosy and warm in a bed with James' arms wrapped around her bare waist and his mouth on the side of her neck.

* * *

><p><em><span>39. Solid<span>_

She pounds her fists against his chest in a stricken sort of grief; for the first time she realises that he is a solid presence, firm despite his thin frame.

* * *

><p><em><span>40. Spring<span>_

Spring is one of his favourite times of the year and, fresh into Sinnoh, it promises to be a good one for him and Jessie.

* * *

><p><em><span>41. Stable<span>_

She smirks, watching James wrinkle his nose in distaste as he gingerly lowers himself to the straw-ridden floor, swearing quietly under his breath when an inquisitive Ponyta pushes its muzzle into his face; for all of his assurances that he's lived rough before, he clearly hadn't been telling the truth.

* * *

><p><em><span>42. Strange<span>_

Meowth watches in confusion as his human companions share shy grins and avert their eyes, uncharacteristically bashful when their hands meet over the butter; failing to read the subtle shift in their relationship, the cat simply shakes his head and declares that he'll never understand humans.

* * *

><p><em><span>43. Summer<span>_

The sun beats down on the trio as they traipse tiredly after the twerps, and James has to avert his eyes from the sight of his partner casually removing her white overtop from her body to drape it over her arm, his temperature ricocheting out of control from more than just the summer's heat.

* * *

><p><em><span>44. Taboo<span>_

Jessie and James have never really discussed sex before, preferring to keep those conversations out of their lives despite being close friends; it has always been a bit of a taboo subject for them due to the potential embarrassment on both sides…until tonight, until this, the moment that has driven them into each other's arms for the first time, and their awkwardness about the subject melts away with the layers of their clothing.

* * *

><p><em><span>45. Ugly<span>_

It is strange how two people who have exactly the same face can be so different at the same time, with one possessing the holiest of beauties, truth, and the other the ugliness of deceit.

* * *

><p><em><span>46. War<span>_

Jessie is awoken to a blow to the side of her head; with a surprised yelp she rolls onto her side to find James grinning at her like a child on Christmas Day, clutching a pillow; he hits her again as she tries to gain her bearings; shaking the blow off, she tackles him to the floor, intending to win this war.

* * *

><p><em><span>47. Water<span>_

On their day off the two of them splash about in the shallows of a secret lake, shrieking like children as they dunk each other under and race each other short distances through the water (competitions that Jessie naturally wins every single time); Meowth smiles as he watches from a safe distance.

* * *

><p><em><span>48. Welcome<span>_

She sometimes dreams of a better time in life, a time where James takes her hand and whispers, _welcome home, Jess,_ softly into her ear with his eyes dancing with life; those occasions awaken her with an ache behind her eyes and a pain in her chest.

* * *

><p><em><span>49. Winter<span>_

He messes up again, and the icy stare that she inflicts him with is colder than any winter.

* * *

><p><em><span>50. Wood<span>_

Sometimes, it's the simple things in life that matter, James reflects as he and Jessie set about collecting firewood for their evening's campfire.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I'm hoping to get the final chapter out on New Year's Day, so look out for that. If you'd like, leave a review. It'd make Christmas Day even better. :)


	5. Surrender Now or Prepare to Fight

**A/N:** And here's the very final chapter! :D These have been a lot of fun to write, so I hope that people who have read them also enjoyed them.

It's been a crazy year with lots of ups and downs and it's gone so bloomin' fast that I just can't quite comprehend it. But here's hoping that 2012 will be even better for everyone! :D (Eh, for me, 2012 has started with me being ill so it's not exactly the best way to a New Year. Hopefully everyone else has had a better one.)

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><p><em><span>5. Surrender Now or Prepare to Fight<span>_

* * *

><p><em><span>1. Motion<span>_

The motion of the waves lulls him into a relaxed state, and he allows his head to loll against his partner's as the inside of the submarine reverberates with the hypnotic sound of Jigglypuff's song.

* * *

><p><em><span>2. Cool<span>_

Jessie smirks to herself as she watches James change back into his Team Rocket uniform; while that bloody annoying falsetto voice had been enough to make her want to cut out his voice box, she has to silently agree with him: he _does_ make a pretty cool girl.

* * *

><p><em><span>3. Young<span>_

"You're both young now," Pop-Pop tells them as the duo stand there blinking in confusion, "but one day you'll understand what I mean."

* * *

><p><em><span>4. Last<span>_

He wonders rather jealously just how many people she's kissed before him; as though reading his mind, she smirks and reminds him that being the last is better than being the first unfortunate bastard.

* * *

><p><em><span>5. Wrong<span>_

His parents had constantly told him that he would never make anything of himself in life if he couldn't conduct himself like a proper gentleman, but now James knows that they were wrong, the life that he's made with Jessie being proof of that.

* * *

><p><em><span>6. Gentle<span>_

He's gentle with her, as she knew he would be, his movements inside her slow and soft, the kisses he bestows upon her less concrete than air…and yet, despite her naturally rougher nature, she finds that she enjoys it.

* * *

><p><em><span>7. One<span>_

In moments like these it's easy to forget that they're not one entity, sharing one body and one heart.

* * *

><p><em><span>8. Thousand<span>_

Jirachi only awakens once every thousand years, and though they'll never get the chance to witness such a phenomenon ever again, James is glad that he was able to share it with Jessie all the same.

* * *

><p><em><span>9. King<span>_

He could be king of an entire empire if he wanted to, what with the money that his family has coming out of their ears, but instead he chooses to be a peasant toiling away on the land with her.

* * *

><p><em><span>10. Learn<span>_

With his head thrust between his partner's legs, James is quick to learn about exactly what she likes.

* * *

><p><em><span>11. Blur<span>_

She blinks as the world spins dizzyingly around her, the blow to her head rendering her groggy and yet, despite the blurriness of her vision, he is as clear as ever.

* * *

><p><em><span>12. Wait<span>_

He's waited for her for a long time now, he thinks as he watches her walk away; he can do it for a while longer yet.

* * *

><p><em><span>13. Change<span>_

They've had a steady, stoic relationship for a long time now, but this time Jessie thinks that change is good as James shyly leans in to press his lips against her cheek.

* * *

><p><em><span>14. Command<span>_

James is more than happy to let Jessie take charge in the bedroom.

* * *

><p><em><span>15. Hold<span>_

Her arms snake consciously around his neck as she gently levers his head against her chest, for once feeling as though she should be there for her best friend as he sobs into her shirt.

* * *

><p><em><span>16. Need<span>_

It isn't a want that keeps them together, it is a need; Jessie and James need each other like no one Meowth has ever met before, and he is sure that this is the reason that their bond is so strong.

* * *

><p><em><span>17. Vision<span>_

If they ever have dreams about their futures than they never share them, but they don't need to be told to know that each one features heavily in the other's vision of happiness.

* * *

><p><em><span>18. Attention<span>_

"Next time you'll know to listen," Jessie grumbles as she puts her pan back where she got it from, and James holds his head and staggers dizzily as he recovers from his very first smack.

* * *

><p><em><span>19. Soul<span>_

Jessie doesn't really believe in the stuff about souls and Heaven and Hell, but perhaps there is some truth in knowing the other half of your soul when you see them.

* * *

><p><em><span>20. Picture<span>_

"Aw, come on, lemme see!" Meowth whines as he tries to snatch the photo from James' hands and, finally succeeding, he gazes upon a sight that will surely scar him for life before letting the photo fall to the ground where Jessie quickly grabs it, blushing; the humans silently deciding that that is the last time they _ever_ photograph their sexual antics.

* * *

><p><em><span>21. Fool<span>_

"We're just off to make sure the area's safe," Jessie supplies as she glances to James, who nods in agreement; Meowth pouts, whining that he hates being left behind on his own and failing to notice the fact that Jessie and James have joined hands and are giggling like children who have just deceived their parents.

* * *

><p><em><span>22. Mad<span>_

She has to be bloody insane to stay here and let him drag her down time and time again, she fumes to herself as she pummels her white shirt into something that can be used as a pillow; she's bloody sick of him.

* * *

><p><em><span>23. Child<span>_

"Youse two would be useless wid a baby," Meowth announces as he watches Jessie and James attempting to silent the crying Bonsly in vain, "but ya'd make cute parents."; this comment earns him two deathly glares as the duo blush.

* * *

><p><em><span>24. Now<span>_

Yesterday is in the past and tomorrow is the future that no one can predict; all that matters is today and the here and now, and as James rests his head beside Jessie's, he's grateful for that.

* * *

><p><em><span>25. Shadow<span>_

Their journeys through Hoenn cast a shadow over their lives, and James sadly wonders if the night will ever be over for them.

* * *

><p><em><span>26. Goodbye<span>_

He wonders why people say that there is something good in goodbye, because all he feels is heartache and betrayal as he watches her leave him.

* * *

><p><em><span>27. Hide<span>_

"Well, this is cosy," Jessie purrs as they squash themselves into the cupboard to wait for the twerps outside to disappear, and as she leans in to kiss him senseless, James forgets why they're hiding in the first place.

* * *

><p><em><span>28. Fortune<span>_

"Dis here book says dat yer closer ta yer loved one dan youse might t'ink," says Meowth, and Jessie and James exchange glances; realising just how close they are to each other, they quickly turn away and state that that's the most ridiculous thing that they've ever heard.

* * *

><p><em><span>29. Safe<span>_

There aren't many times that Jessie really feels safe – not as a member of a crime syndicate – but she finds that now, despite the fact that she's lying naked and vulnerable in James' arms, she feels perfectly protected.

* * *

><p><em><span>30. Ghost<span>_

She wonders if her mother would approve of the choices she's made in life, of the friends she's made, of the career she's pursued, of the lover she's taken in the form of her lavender haired partner.

* * *

><p><em><span>31. Book<span>_

"I didn't know you read," James comments as he flops down next to his partner; quickly, Jessie hides the book – which has just reached an incredibly juicy moment between the hero and the heroine – and says as calmly as she can that she doesn't waste her time on silly novels, thank you very much.

* * *

><p><em><span>32. Eye<span>_

He's staring at her in a way that she finds disconcerting, a look of pure desire upon his face and, finally giving in, she thrusts the doughnut into his hand, muttering, "here, have it then," as she does so.

* * *

><p><em><span>33. Never<span>_

She'd vowed that she'd never like her partner, vowed that he would never become her friend, vowed that he would never know what was in her heart; now, she vows that she will never make such vows ever again.

* * *

><p><em><span>34. Sing<span>_

She doesn't exactly have the voice of a superstar (though if she ever knew he'd even thought that she'd probably strangle him with her bare hands); it sounds decidedly off-key on some notes and it wavers dangerously on others, but the fact that she is trying to make him feel better makes it the most wonderful voice in the world.

* * *

><p><em><span>35. Sudden<span>_

The moment it hits him that his two best friends should be together isn't one that has developed over time; no, it hits him as suddenly and unexpectedly as a Pokémon's evolution, while he watches his two friends completing the most mundane of tasks, and that is when he realises just how well the duo complement each other.

* * *

><p><em><span>36. Stop<span>_

James is unable to stop himself from slipping his hand into his partner's as they watch the sight in front of them with unabashed awe; he is thankful when Jessie seems unable to stop herself from squeezing his fingers reassuringly.

* * *

><p><em><span>37. Time<span>_

Maybe next time, James thinks despondently as he watches Jessie walk away. Maybe next time things will be different.

* * *

><p><em><span>38. Wash<span>_

She rubs soap vigorously into her skin, trying not to think about how it would feel to have _him_ doing the rubbing.

* * *

><p><em><span>39. Torn<span>_

She ought to be used to being torn down, she thinks; it's happened enough in the past.

* * *

><p><em><span>40. History<span>_

With pasts like theirs, it's a wonder that they can function together at all; and yet, despite everything, they fit together like a puzzle to create the greatest story in history.

* * *

><p><em><span>41. Power<span>_

The balance of power has shifted rather dramatically, but as she watches James pull his black Rocket trousers on, his expression one of utmost seriousness, Jessie decides that she doesn't mind.

* * *

><p><em><span>42. Bother<span>_

"Did you not see the _do not disturb_ sign?" Jessie and James chorus in embarrassed indignation as they quickly try to cover their modesty; Meowth can only sigh.

* * *

><p><em><span>43. God<span>_

Jessie isn't sure that there is a god out there, but she prays to Him anyway as she races up the Metagross Mountain…she prays that James is still safe.

* * *

><p><em><span>44. Wall<span>_

Sometimes she feels like she's banging her head against a brick wall when it comes to her partner in crime, because everything she says to him seems to go in one ear and out the other, all with an innocent smile that she just can't stay angry with.

* * *

><p><em><span>45. Naked<span>_

It takes her a few moments to realise that the hand she's snaked down her naked body to the secret place between her thighs has moved there with the inappropriate thoughts of her partner in crime.

* * *

><p><em><span>46. Drive<span>_

She wishes she could drive him out of her heart as easily as her words drive him out of their campsite.

* * *

><p><em><span>47. Harm<span>_

They've been electrocuted and taken out with jets of water and smacked around with vicious vines more times than they can count but they've never really been hurt, and it scares Jessie to see her seemingly invincible partner slumped over the steering wheel out cold with a large lump on his head after their current ploy to capture Pikachu goes horribly awry.

* * *

><p><em><span>48. Precious<span>_

They've dressed up as the dolls for her, both smiling nervously as the Pokémon loiter in the background and Jessie smiles, realising that what she has – true friends – is much more precious than the Princess Dolls that the twerpette won.

* * *

><p><em><span>49. Hunger<span>_

It is easy to hate and blame each other after almost three days without a morsel to eat.

* * *

><p><em><span>50. Believe<span>_

"I swear, I'll never let you down," James tells her, and she has a reason to believe once again.

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><p><strong>AN:** If you can, please review. :)


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